Vol. 419 No. 1
61 Mrs. T. Ahearn asked the Minister for Energy if he is concerned at the level of radiocaesium arising from the Chernobyl fallout in farms monitored in County Tipperary shown in the Nuclear Energy Board report of January 1992, and if he will adopt their recommendations in relation to monitoring.
The Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland, in conjunction with the Department of Agriculture and Food, have had an extensive monitoring programme in place since September 1987. This programme involves the monitoring of live sheep at farms in high risk areas and at slaughter houses and the sampling and analysis of sheepmeat from butchers' shops.
I am satisfied that the monitoring programme provides adequate safeguards to detect any animals which have radiocaesium above the permitted levels.
The recommendations of the Institute in their 1990 report have been implemented in relation to the particular area referred to by the Deputy.
